Methods of administering a wagering game

ABSTRACT

A method for administering a card game includes providing a modified deck of 52 playing cards having 28 non-face cards and 24 face cards; receiving from a player an ante wager, a Faces wager, and optionally, a Picture Perfect wager; dealing cards to a dealer hand and a player hand; and receiving from the player an option to fold or to play. Upon election of the fold option, the player may forfeit the ante and Faces wagers. Upon election of the play option, the player may place a play wager. The wagers are resolved by comparing the dealer hand with the player hand and/or by the number and rank of face cards in the player hand. The deck of cards may include two face cards of each rank (K, Q, and J) and suit, and one non-face card of each rank (10 through 4) and suit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/327,289, filed Jul. 9, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/844,419, filed Jul. 9, 2013, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present general inventive concept is directed to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium directed to a casino game variation like poker that can be played in a casino or on the Internet.

BACKGROUND

Casino poker games are known in the art. What is needed is a new and exciting casino wagering game that is exciting for players and profitable for the house (casino).

BRIEF SUMMARY

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide an exciting casino game.

This aspect and other aspects and advantages, which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In some embodiments, a method for administering a card game, includes providing a modified deck of fifty-two (52) playing cards having twenty-eight (28) non-face cards and twenty-four (24) face cards including eight cards of each of ranks K, Q, and J. The non-face cards exclude any cards of rank A, 2, or 3. The method includes receiving from a player an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a Picture Perfect wager; dealing six (6) cards each to a dealer hand and a player hand; and receiving from the player an option to fold or to play.

Upon election of the fold option, the ante and Faces wagers are retained by the house, and upon election of the play option, a play wager is received from the player. The method may include revealing and determining whether the dealer hand has a qualifying holding; returning the ante wager to the player if the play wager is received from the player and if the dealer hand does not have a qualifying holding; and resolving the ante wager if the play wager is received from the player and if the dealer hand has a qualifying holding.

The ante wager may be resolved by issuing an award to the player if the player hand has more face cards than the dealer hand; issuing an award to the player if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the player hand has a higher ranking than the dealer hand based upon their respective face cards; returning the ante wager to the player if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the same ranking based upon their respective face cards; retaining the ante wager if the dealer hand has more face cards than the player hand; and retaining the ante wager if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the dealer hand has a higher ranking than the player hand based upon their respective face cards.

The play wager may be resolved by issuing an award to the player if the player hand has more face cards than the dealer hand; issuing an award to the player if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the player hand has a higher ranking than the dealer hand based upon their respective face cards; returning the play wager to the player if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the same ranking based upon their respective face cards; retaining the play wager if the dealer hand has more face cards than the player hand; and retaining the play wager if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the dealer hand has a higher ranking than the player hand based upon their respective face cards.

The Faces wager may be resolved by issuing an award to the player if the player hand has more face cards than the dealer hand and has four or more face cards; issuing an award to the player if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards, the player hand has a higher ranking than the dealer hand based upon their respective face cards, and the player hand has four or more face cards; retaining the Faces wager if the dealer hand has more face cards than the player hand; retaining the Faces wager if the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards and the dealer hand has a higher ranking than the player hand based upon their respective face cards; returning the Faces wager to the player if the player hand has three or fewer face cards and more face cards than the dealer hand; and returning the Faces wager to the player if the player hand has three or fewer face cards, the player hand and the dealer hand have the same number of face cards, and the player hand has the same or a higher ranking than the dealer hand based upon their respective face cards.

An award may be issued to the player based upon the Picture Perfect wager if the Picture Perfect wager is received from the player, and if the player hand has at least one combination selected from the group consisting of three or more face cards and two identical face cards.

In certain embodiments, a method of administering a wagering game includes accepting an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a side wager from a player; dealing randomized physical cards to a player hand associated with the player and to a dealer hand from a single deck of fifty-two physical playing cards; administering a game play election event; and resolving all accepted wagers. The deck includes twenty-four face cards and twenty-eight non-face cards, wherein the face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K. The game play election event includes providing a set of game play election options including accepting a play wager from a player and accepting from the player a game play election. Acceptance of the play wager may be a prerequisite for paying a payout on the ante wager and the Faces wager.

In some embodiments, a deck of fifty-two physical playing cards includes twenty-four face cards and twenty-eight non-face cards. The face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K. The face cards may include two cards of each rank in each of four suits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of playing a casino wagering game, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of resolving the ante and play wagers when the dealer qualifies, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3A is a drawing illustrating a gaming table, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an electronic player tracking system associated with gaming tables, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating exemplary hardware that can be used to implement an electronic version of the methods described herein;

FIG. 4B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network configuration to implement a player playing an online version of the methods described herein;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart diagram of a method of administering a wagering game, according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart diagram illustrating how a wagering game may proceed, according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a playing surface for implementation of a method of administering a wagering game, according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged diagram of a player position of the playing surface of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a gaming table configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an individual electronic gaming device configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a top view of a table configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a table configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure, wherein the implementation includes a virtual dealer;

FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system for implementing embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system for implementing embodiments of wagering games including a live dealer feed;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a computer for acting as a gaming system for implementing embodiments of wagering games in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of data flows between various applications/services for supporting the game, feature or utility of the present disclosure for mobile/interactive gaming; and

FIG. 17 is a schematic of a scratch card implementation of a wagering game in accordance with this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrations presented in this disclosure are not meant to be actual views of any particular act in a method, apparatus, system, or component thereof, but are merely idealized representations employed to describe illustrative embodiments. Thus, the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same or similar numerical designation. Elements with the same number, but including a different alphabet character as a suffix should be considered as multiple instantiations of substantially similar elements and may be referred generically without an alphabet character suffix.

The terms “gaming,” “gambling,” or the like, refer to activities, games, sessions, rounds, hands, rolls, operations, and other events related to wagering games the outcome of which is at least partially based on one or more random events (“chance” or “chances”), and on which wagers may be placed by a player. In addition, the words “wager,” “bet,” “bid,” or the like, refer to any type of wager, bet, or gaming venture that is placed on random events, whether of monetary or non-monetary value. Points, credits, and other items of value may be purchased, earned, or otherwise issued prior to beginning the wagering game. In some embodiments, purchased points, credits, or other items of value may have an exchange rate that is not one-to-one to the currency used by the user. For example, a wager may include money, points, credits, symbols, or other items that may have some value related to a wagering game. Wagers may be placed in wagering games that involve the risk of real-world monetary value for the potential of payouts with real-world monetary value (e.g., the “play-for-pay,” such as “house-banked,” “player-banked,” and “dividend refund” configurations, each of which is described in more detail below) or in wagering games that involve no real-world monetary risks for the player (e.g., the “play-for-fun” and “social play-for-fun” configurations described in more detail below).

As used herein, the term “wager” includes any form of wagering value, including money, casino chips, other physical means for payment, and online or remote electronic authorization of a wager in any acceptable form to the casino or online or virtual game host. Also included are physical representations of money (e.g., casino chips) at a local game, as well as virtual representations of money in the form of electronic authorizations of a transfer of money and digital representations of money (e.g., digital representations of bills or coins, digital representations of chips, numerical quantities of money, numerical quantities of points, or numerical quantities of credits) at a local or remote electronic gaming device. As used herein, the term “wagering element” means and includes objects and symbols used to signify the acceptance of a wager. For example, physical wagering elements include physical money (e.g., bills and coins) and physical wagering tokens (e.g., poker chips), which may or may not be redeemable for monetary value and may or may not include electronic identifiers (e.g., RFID chips) embedded within the tokens, enabling electronic sensing and tracking of wagering. Virtual wagering elements include, for example, images (e.g., images of money or poker chips) and text (e.g., a string of numbers), which may or may not be redeemable for monetary value. In the “play-for-fun” and “social play-for-fun” configurations, a “wager” may not have a cash value (i.e., a real-world monetary value).

For the purposes of this description, it will be understood that when an action related to accepting wagers, making payouts, dealing cards, selecting cards, or other actions associated with a player or a dealer is described herein, and such description includes a player or a dealer taking the action, the results of the action may be computer generated and may be displayed on a live or virtual table or electronic display, and, if applicable, the reception or detection of such an action in an electronic form where player and dealer choices, selections, or other actions are received at an electronic interface. This further includes the results of a virtual dealer and virtual players, where the actions described are actually generated by a computer (typically associated with an online game). By way of a further example, if dealing of a card is described herein, the description includes (but is not limited to) the following: the dealing of a card by a dealer from a deck, shuffler, shoe, or other card source and the reception or placement of the card at a table location associated with a player or reception directly by a player; the generation and transmission of an electronic indication or representation of a card from a game play source or server to an electronic receiver, where the receiver may be at a table (using virtual cards) including players and/or virtual players and/or a dealer or virtual dealer, on a gaming terminal, at a public display in a casino, at a remote location (e.g., using online or Internet game play), or at other locations. Also included is the representation of a card on a display or displays, and, if applicable to the action described, an electronic reception of an indication that the card has been received, selected, or otherwise interacted with at a location associated with a player, or, associated with a virtual player. In addition, dealing of a card may refer to revealing a representation of a card on a scratch-off card (also referred to as “scratchers”).

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The present inventive concept relates to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium to implement a casino wagering game. Generally, the goal of the game is for a player to have a hand comprising as many picture cards as possible. The game is played with a special deck. The special deck is created from a standard deck of fifty-two cards (ace, two through ten, jack, queen, and king, of all four suits (spades, diamonds, clubs, hearts)) with all of the twos, threes, and fours replaced with an extra set of jacks, queens, and kings of the removed suit. Thus, the special deck will still have fifty-two cards, but no aces, twos, or threes, and each suit will have two jacks, two queens, and two kings. Note that, in other embodiments, other cards can be added or removed.

One or more players plays simultaneously against a dealer. The goal is for each player to get a better hand than the dealer. A better hand is one that has more picture cards (picture cards are defined as jacks, queens, and kings, but no other cards). In another embodiment, instead of picture cards, the game can be played using a predetermined set of card ranks (e.g., all jacks, queens, kings, tens) or any other such set.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of implementing a casino wagering game.

The method begins with operation 10, wherein the player places his or her initial wagers. The player must place an ante wager and a “Faces” wager. The dealer may also receive an optional “Picture Perfect” side bet wager from the player. In another embodiment, any of these wagers can be required, optional, or any combination of required and optional. The wagers can be placed in respective betting circles. In one embodiment, the Faces wager must be equal to the ante wager. In another embodiment, these wagers can be different values. Of course, no wager can be higher than posted table limits. Side wagers such as the Picture Perfect wager can be offered as well, for example, a side wager based simply on how many cards in the player's hand will have the same rank.

From operation 10, the method proceeds to operation 11, in which the player's hand and the dealer's hand are dealt. The dealer's hand may comprise only six cards, and the player's hand may comprise only six cards. The dealer's hand is dealt face down while the player's hand is dealt either face up or face down (with the player being allowed to view his or her cards). The hands can include more or less cards, such as seven cards, for example. In some examples, the dealer may receive one or more cards than the players.

The player hopes to have a hand better than the dealer's hand. The hands are judged based on who has more picture cards, the more picture cards the better.

From operation 11, the method proceeds to operation 12, in which the player can raise wherein the dealer receives a play wager, or the player folds, wherein the dealer receives an election to fold. If a fold election is received, then the method proceeds to operation 13, in which the player loses the ante wager and the Faces wager (placed in operation 10), and the game ends, and the ante and Faces wagers are taken by the house. The Picture Perfect wager remains in play. In another embodiment, when the player folds, the Picture Perfect wager is also taken by the house.

If, in operation 12, the dealer receives a raise wager (a play wager), then the player places and the dealer receives a play wager that is equal in value to the ante wager. In another embodiment, the play wager can be a multiple of the ante wager (e.g., 2×, 3×), either fixed or the player has discretion of how much to bet as the play wager. After the dealer receives the play bet raise election or fold election, the method proceeds to operation 14.

In operation 14, the dealer exposes the dealer's hand (all six cards) and it is determined whether the dealer qualifies. The dealer qualifies if the dealer has a predetermined number of specific picture cards in the dealer's hand (e.g., two kings, for example). For example, if the dealer has two or more king cards or better, then the dealer qualifies, otherwise the dealer does not qualify.

If, in operation 14, the dealer does not qualify, then the method proceeds to operation 15, wherein the ante wager pushes and the player receives action on the play wager (wins even money if the player's hand beats the dealer's hand and loses if the dealer's hand beats the player's hand). The Faces wager pushes when the dealer does not qualify. In another embodiment, the Faces wager loses when the dealer does not qualify. In another embodiment, it is irrelevant to the Faces wager whether the dealer qualifies or not; thus, the Faces wager is resolved as described herein.

In operation 14, if the dealer qualifies, then the method proceeds to operation 16 (illustrated in FIG. 2), in which all wagers on the table (e.g., the ante wager, the play wager (also referred to herein as the “raise wager”), the Faces wager, and any side wager, such as a “Picture Perfect” wager) are resolved. The wagers are paid based on a comparison between the player's hand and the dealer's hand. The hand with more picture cards wins. If both hands have the same number of picture cards, then the winning hand will be the hand with the highest ranking cards (ace ranks highest, then king, then queen, then jack, then ten, then nine, etc.) wins (using high-card hand poker rules). For example, if the dealer's hand is 7, 8, 9, Q, J, Q and the player's hand is 6, 6, 10, Q, J, 8, then the dealer's hand wins because the highest dealer's card (a queen (Q)) matches the highest player's card (a queen (Q)), and the next highest dealer's card (another queen (Q)) is higher than the next highest player's card (a jack (J)). Thus, the dealer's hand ranks higher and wins.

If the player's hand ranks higher (e.g., beats, is higher than, etc.) the dealer's hand, then the player wins. The ante wager wins an even money payout (e.g., 1:1) in some embodiments. The play wager also wins an even money payout in some embodiments. The Faces wager will also pay an odds payout if the player wins with four or more picture cards in the hand. This Faces payout can be applied instead to the play wager. Other bonus amounts can be used as well, and these are merely examples.

If the player wins, then the Picture Perfect wager wins if the player's hand has N (e.g., three or another selected number, such as two, four, five, or six) same-ranked cards or more. In some embodiments, the side bet may win when two or more player cards are of the same rank and suit. If the player wins but the player's hand does not have N same-ranked cards, then the Picture Perfect wager pushes. A winning Picture Perfect side wager can pay according to a paytable based on the number of same-rank cards. e.g., three same-rank cards pays 3:1; four same-rank cards pays 20:1; five same-rank cards pays 200:1; and six same-rank cards pays 1000:1, for example. In embodiments, if the player's hand does not have at least N picture cards, then the Faces wager loses.

If the dealer's hand ranks higher than the player's hand, then the player loses the ante wager, the play wager, and the Faces wager. In another embodiment, the Faces wager would not lose if the dealer's hand ranks higher than the player's hand.

If there is a tie, then the ante wager and the play wager would push and the Faces wager can either push, win, or lose, depending on house rules.

Table I below represents a sample set of rules for the game. Of course, the rules can be modified.

TABLE I Player wagers, with Ante = Faces, before hand begins Players and dealer each receive 6 cards Player either wagers Play equal to Ante or folds If Player folds, Player loses Ante and Faces Dealer qualifies with two picture cards, such as 2 kings or better Ante pushes if dealer does not qualify If dealer qualifies, then Ante wins if player's hand beats dealer's hand and loses if dealer's hand beats player's hand Play wager always receives action against dealer's hand Faces bet pays for winning player hand and pushes when the player hand beats the dealer hand but the hand is not a qualifying winning hand

Some examples of the game are as follows: Joe places a $1 ante wager, a $1 Faces wager, and a $1 Picture Perfect wager. Joe is dealt 7, J, J, K, K, K. Joe raises and places a $1 play wager. The dealer's hand is 7, 8, 9, K, K, Q. The dealer qualifies because the dealer has at least two kings. The player's hand is better (ranks higher) than the dealer's hand (because the player has five picture cards, which is a greater number of picture cards than the three picture cards in the dealer's hand). Thus, the player wins a $1 (1:1) payout on the ante wager, a $1 (1:1) payout on the play wager, and a $3 payout on the Faces wager (because the player's hand has at least five picture cards). The Faces wager may be resolved according to the following pay table:

TABLE II Faces Wager Combination Odds 6 picture cards 25:1*  5 picture cards 3:1* 4 picture cards 1:1* 3 or less picture cards Push* *Player must beat dealer

Players who elect to place the optional Picture Perfect wager may win a payout according to the following pay table:

TABLE III Picture Perfect Side Wager Combination Odds 6 same rank 1000:1   5 same rank 200:1  4 same rank 20:1  3 same rank 3:1 2 same rank and suit 2:1

In the example game, Joe's Picture Perfect wager wins $3 because Joe's hand has three picture cards (kings) of the same rank. Thus, after resolving the wagers, there is $11 in chips on the table, for a net profit to Joe of $9.

As another example, Jane places a $1 ante wager and a $1 Faces wager. Jane is dealt 5, 6, 7, J, Q, K and raises by placing a $1 play wager. The dealer reveals his hand to be 7, 8, 8, 9, K, K. The suits do not matter. The dealer qualifies because the dealer has at least two kings. Jane's hand is better than the dealer's hand because Jane's hand has three picture cards while dealer's hand has two picture cards. Thus, Jane wins a $1 payout on the ante wager. The play wager receives action and thus wins a $1 payout because the player's hand beats the dealer's hand. Player pushes the Faces wager because the player's hand beat the dealer's hand, but the player's hand does not have at least four picture cards.

As another example, Bob places a $1 ante wager and a $1 Faces wager. Bob is dealt J, J, Q, K, K, K, and Bob raises by placing a $1 play wager. The dealer reveals the dealer's hand to be 4, 6, 7, 9, K, 8. The dealer does not qualify because the dealer does not have two face cards, including at least one king, or better. The ante wager pushes and the play wager wins because Bob's hand beats the dealer's hand (since Bob's hand has more picture cards). Thus, the play wager wins $1. The Faces wager wins because the player's hand beat the dealer's hand. The player hand also has six picture cards, so the Faces wager would have paid 25:1. In embodiments, whether the dealer qualifies or not is irrelevant to the Faces wager, such that the Faces wager pays or pushes when the player's hand beats the dealer's hand. The player may push with three picture cards or less. With four or more, the bet pays an odds payout.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of resolving the ante and play wagers when the dealer qualifies, according to an embodiment.

In operation 16 (FIG. 1), both the ante wager and the play wager remain in action and are resolved because the dealer qualifies. Thus, from operation 16 of FIG. 1, operation 20 of FIG. 2 is performed.

In operation 20, it is determined who has more picture cards, the player or the dealer. The ante wager is resolved along with the play wager (when the dealer qualifies), meaning that, when the play wager wins, the ante wager wins; when the play wager loses, the ante wager loses; and when the play wager ties (pushes), the ante wager pushes. When the dealer does not qualify, the ante wager pushes.

If, in operation 20, the player has more picture cards, then the method proceeds to operation 21, wherein the player wins a payout on the ante wager and a payout on the play wager. For example, the house may award a 1:1 payout on the ante and play wager. The Faces wager is also resolved as described herein.

If, in operation 20, the dealer has more picture cards, then the method proceeds to operation 22, wherein the player loses both the ante wager and the play wager (both of these wagers are collected by the house/dealer with no payout to the player). The Faces wager is also resolved as described herein. In some embodiments, no Faces wager is required.

If, in operation 20, the player and the dealer have the same number of picture cards, then the method proceeds to operation 23, wherein a determination is made as to whom of the player and the dealer has higher ranking cards. In other words, if the dealer's highest card is higher than the player's highest card, then the dealer's hand ranks higher. If the player's highest card is higher than the dealer's highest card, then the player's hand ranks higher. If the player's highest card is the same rank as the dealer's highest card (e.g., both have a king), then the second highest card in the player's hand and the second highest card in the dealer's hand are compared in the same manner. If the player's second highest card ranks higher than the dealer's second highest card, then the player's hand ranks higher. If the dealer's second highest card ranks higher than the player's second highest card, then the dealer's hand ranks higher. If the player's second highest card is equal in rank to the dealer's second highest card, then the third highest card in the player's hand and the third highest card in the dealer's hand are compared in the same manner, and this method can continue similarly until someone's Xth card ranks higher than the other's Xth card. It is very unlikely that there would be a tie (all cards in the player's hand and the dealer's hand would have the same rank), but it is theoretically possible.

In some examples of the invention, all aces have been removed from the deck so the highest-ranking card is a king.

In operation 23, if there is a tie (both the player and the dealer have the same number of picture cards and neither the player or the dealer has higher ranking cards than the other), then the method proceeds to operation 24, wherein there is a tie and the ante wager and the play wager tie (push). Both wagers are returned to the player with no payout being made.

In another embodiment, if the player and the dealer have the same number of picture cards, then the winning hand could simply be determined by who (player or dealer) has the higher ranking poker hand according to standard poker rankings. If the player has the higher-ranking poker hand, then the player wins (and the method proceeds to operation 21), and if the dealer has the higher-ranking poker hand, then the dealer wins (and the method proceeds to operation 22). Other tie-breaking methods may be substituted, such as the highest number of red or black cards, for example.

Operation 15 (FIG. 1) is implemented similarly to FIG. 2, except that the ante wager always pushes when the dealer hand does not qualify, and only the play wager would win or lose.

Side wagers, such as a Picture Perfect side wager, can be offered in operation 10 (FIG. 1), which side wagers would be resolved in operation 16 (FIG. 1). Such a wager can be, for example, based on how many cards of the same rank are in the player's hand (or the dealer's hand, or both). A minimum number of same-rank cards (e.g., three) is required to receive a payout on the side wager (not lose). In some embodiments, two cards of the same rank an suit form a winning hand.

FIG. 3A is a drawing illustrating a gaming table 30, according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the game can be played using physical cards and physical chips on a physical gaming table.

A physical gaming table (typically made of wood with felt on top with the layout imprinted on it) is used to play the game in a physical real world casino. One example of a table that can be used in a physical casino is illustrated in U.S. Design Pat. No. D263,975, “Gaming Table,” issued Apr. 20, 1982, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The layout on top of the felt has imprinted on it several betting circles 33, as illustrated in FIG. 3A. Each betting circle 33 defines an area where a respective player can place and the dealer can receive his or her chips (wager). The felt can be green, and the imprinted betting circles can be white; although, of course, any color scheme can be used. Such a table (e.g., the table 30) can accommodate any number of players (such as seven as illustrated) or any other number (e.g., two to ten players). All players play simultaneously against the dealer, as known in the art. A player's hand 32 and a dealer's hand 31 are shown. Each playing area has four betting circles 33 comprising an ante wager circle, a play wager circle, a Faces wager circle, and a Picture Perfect wager circle used for placing these respective wagers. The betting circles 33 may be imprinted onto the felt.

Also, an electronic mechanical shuffler (not illustrated in FIG. 3A), such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,294, “Card Shuffler with Card Rank and Value Reading Capability,” issued Sep. 27, 2011, which is incorporated herein its entirety by this reference, can, optionally, be used by the dealer to shuffle the deck or decks of cards. Also, an optional shoe (not illustrated in FIG. 3A), into which the cards can be placed and out of which the cards can be dealt by the dealer, such as the shoe described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,512, “Dealing Shoe,” issued Jul. 3, 1984; which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, could be used.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an electronic player tracking system associated with each gaming table, according to an embodiment.

When players play casino table games, the casino can typically track each player so that the casino knows how much gaming action each player is giving the casino and, hence, how much to reward each player with complimentaries (free or discounted rooms, food, etc.). Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817, “Method and Apparatus for Operating Networked Gaming Devices,” issued Nov. 17, 1998, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference for all purposes. Each player can have his or her own player's card, which is a plastic card that has the player's name imprinted on it and computer-readable indicia (e.g., a magnetic stripe) that stores an identification number of the player's card (and hence the identification number of the player who owns the card). The player's card can be swiped through an electronic card readers 36, 38 a, 38 b, which can electronically read the data stored on the player's card and can transmit the data to the associated computer.

A gaming table A 34 a (which can be used to play any method described herein) and a gaming table B 34 b (which can be used to play any method described herein) can be associated with a pit 35 (which has its own computer). The pit 35 has a card reader 36 to read the electronically encoded information on a player's card (the card reader 36 can also be located at the tables 34 a, 34 b themselves, e.g., electronic card readers 38 a, 38 b) and to transmit the information to an associated computer that can communicate information contained on the player's card (e.g., an identification number of the player associated with the card) to an electronic database 37 along with play data relating to the player who owns the player's card. Table A 34 a has its own card reader 38 a and associated computer (the one next to the card reader 38 a and which receives information from the card reader 38 a) and table B 34 b also has its own card reader 38 b and associated computer (the one next to the card reader 38 b and which receives information from the card reader 38 b). The computers at table A 34 a and table B 34 b are connected to the electronic database 37. Casino employees can enter data regarding each player's play (for those players that present a player's card) into a computer at the table (e.g., table A 34 a, table B 34 b) or at the pit 35, which computer transmits the play data (e.g., average wager amount, time of play, etc.) to the electronic casino database 37, which stores playing history information for players at the casino. The computers illustrated in FIG. 3B can all have the structure as illustrated in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating hardware that can be used to implement electronic versions of the wagering methods described herein, according to an embodiment. The hardware can be, for example, an electronic gaming machine (EGM) used in casinos. The hardware can also be a personal computer, playing the game using the Internet at an Internet casino for real money. The hardware can also be a digital casino table, for example, the kind described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,887, “Casino Table Systems with Multiple Displays and Below Table Processor,” issued Aug. 17, 2010, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The hardware can also be any computing device, such as a cellular phone, a tablet, etc., and the methods described herein can be installed as software (e.g., an app) on the device. The hardware can also be any other type of device, working individually or in conjunction with other devices.

A processing unit 40 (such as a microprocessor and any associated components) is connected to an output device 41 (such as an LCD monitor, a touchscreen, a CRT, etc.), which can output any and all aspects of the game, and to an input device 42 (e.g., buttons, a touchscreen, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.), by which the player can input any and all decisions by the player in the game. All methods/features/embodiments described herein can be performed by the processing unit 40 by loading and executing respective instructions that can be stored in memory and/or a non-transitory storage medium read by a storage device. The processing unit 40 can also be connected to a network connection 43, which can connect the electronic gaming device to a computer communications network, such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, etc. The processing unit 40 is also connected to RAM 44 and ROM 45. The processing unit 40 is also connected to a storage device 46, which can be a DVD-drive, CD-ROM, Flash memory, etc. Multiple such processing units can also work in collaboration with each other (in a same or different physical location). A computer-readable storage medium 47 can store a program that can control the electronic device to perform any of the methods described herein. The processing unit 40 can also be connected to a financial apparatus 48 that can receive cash and convert the received cash into playable credits for use by the player when playing the electronic device. When the player decides to cash out any remaining credits, the financial apparatus 48 can issue coins or a cashless ticket (voucher) for the remaining credits, which cashless ticket (voucher) is redeemable by the player for cash.

FIG. 4B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network configuration to implement a player playing an online version of the methods described herein. All the methods described herein can be implemented on an online casino for real money (or non-cash value credits). A player uses a computer 49 (e.g., cell phone, tablet, PC, etc.) that can connect to a server 50 using a computer communications network, such as the Internet. The server 50 hosts an online casino that determines the outcomes of the game and serves the outcomes to the computer 49 so the computer 49 displays the outcomes to the player. The configuration of online casinos is well known in the art.

It is noted that the methods described herein can be played with any number of special decks. A standard deck is a collection of cards comprising an ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, and king for each of four suits (comprising spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts), totaling fifty-two cards. Cards can be shuffled, or a continuous shuffling machine (CSM) can be used. A standard deck of fifty-two cards can be used, as well as other kinds of decks, such as Spanish decks, decks with wild cards, etc. The operations described herein can be performed in any sensible order. Furthermore, numerous different variants of house rules can be applied.

Methods described herein can also be played on a physical table, using physical cards and physical chips to place wagers. Such physical chips can be directly redeemable for cash. When a player wins (dealer loses) the player's wager, the dealer will pay that player a respective payout amount. When a player loses (dealer wins) the player's wager, the dealer will take (collect) that wager from the player and typically place those chips in the dealer's chip rack. All rules, embodiments, features, etc., of a game being played are typically communicated to the player (e.g., verbally or on a written rule card) before the game begins.

Initial cash deposits can be made into the electronic gaming machine, which converts cash into electronic credits. Wagers can be placed in the form of electronic credits, which can be cashed out for real coins or a ticket (e.g., ticket-in-ticket-out) that can be redeemed at a casino cashier or kiosk for real cash and/or coins.

A flowchart diagram of a method 51 of administering a wagering game is illustrated in FIG. 5. The method includes providing a modified deck having a selected number of non-face cards, such as twenty-eight (28) non-face cards, and a selected number of face cards, such as twenty-four (24) face cards (stage 52); receiving an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a Picture Perfect wager from a player (stage 53); dealing cards to each of a dealer hand and a player hand (stage 54); providing the player an option to fold or place a play wager (stage 55); revealing the dealer hand and determining whether the dealer has a qualifying holding (stage 56); resolving the ante wager, Faces wager, and play wager (stage 57); and resolving the Picture Perfect wager (stage 58). Depending on how the game proceeds, stages 56 and 57 may be omitted. For example, if the player folds after viewing his or her cards, the ante and Faces wagers may be retained by the administrator, and the Picture Perfect wager be resolved.

According to some example embodiments, a special deck of cards is used to administer the game. Standard cards are used, but the frequency of certain cards forming the deck is different. In one form, the same total number of cards in a standard deck, i.e., 52 cards, are present in the special deck. In one example, all aces, 2s, and 3s (four suits each), or twelve (12) cards are removed. Extra king, queen, and jack cards (four suits each) or twelve (12) total cards are added. The cards that have the most value in the game (K, Q, J) are provided with more frequency, and the low value cards (A, 2, 3) are removed to preserve the total card count of fifty-two (52) cards.

In some embodiments, more low-value cards are removed to make room for more high-value cards to increase the strength of the hands, resulting in a lower house edge on the pay table payouts.

Broadly, the game may include an ante wager, a Faces wager, a side or “Picture Perfect” wager, and a play wager. FIG. 6 shows another flowchart diagram that illustrates how an embodiment of a wagering game may proceed. In stage 60, a player make initial wagers, which may include an ante wager, a Faces wager, and/or a Picture Perfect wager. In some embodiments, the ante wager and the Faces wager are required for play, and the Picture Perfect wager is optional. The ante wager and the Faces wager may be of an identical value, which may be set by table rules for all players. In some embodiments, the player may select any amount of the Picture Perfect wager, so long as the amount is within table limits. For example, if the table rules require ante and Faces wagers of $1 each, and there is a table limit of $5, a player may make ante, Faces, and Picture Perfect wagers of $1, $1, and $5, respectively, to participate in the game. Alternatively, the player may make ante, Faces, and Picture Perfect wagers of $1, $1, and $2; $1, $1, and $1; or even $1, $1, and $0. Wagers to participate in a game may be made by one or more players at approximately the same time before cards are dealt.

After the ante, Faces, and Picture Perfect wagers have been placed, cards are dealt to form one or more player hands and a dealer hand, as illustrated in stage 61. The card may be drawn from a randomized deck. The deck may have two face cards (K, Q, and J) of each suit and one card of each suit of each of seven non-face cards. For example, in some embodiments, the cards A, 2, and 3 of each suit may be removed from a standard deck of fifty-two playing cards and replaced with the cards K, Q, and J of each suit from another deck. Thus, the deck may contain, in each suit, cards of ranks K, K, Q, Q, J, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4. In some embodiments, non-face cards other than A, 2, and 3 may be replaced with the additional face cards. In particular, in embodiments in which the values of non-face cards do not affect the outcome of wagers, any non-face card may be removed for each face card added. In some embodiments, the deck may include the face cards and twenty-eight cards of no rank whatsoever (e.g., all non-face cards may share identical markings indicating they are not face cards, or all non-face cards may be blank).

Each player hand and the dealer hand may be dealt the same number of cards. For example, each hand may be dealt four cards, five cards, six cards, seven cards, or even eight cards. In some embodiments, each hand may be dealt six cards. The dealer hand may be dealt face down on the table so that the players cannot see the dealer hand. The player hands may be dealt face up or face down. Each player may be permitted to view his or her own hand. If the player hands are dealt face up, each player may see all player hands. In other embodiments, the dealer may receive more or fewer cards than the player(s).

In stage 62, each player may either fold or make a play wager. The player may elect to fold if the player believes his hand to be relatively weak (i.e., unlikely to win) in comparison with the unseen dealer hand. The player may elect to make a play wager if the player believes his hand to be relatively strong (i.e., likely to win) in comparison with the unseen dealer hand. The election to fold or make a play wager may be the only decision required of the player during play. Thus, the game may be relatively simple in comparison with other games in which players have multiple opportunities to raise, exchange cards, etc. Such simplicity may speed up administration of the game, making the game more enjoyable to players and more profitable for administrators.

The play wager, if made, may be equal to the ante wager and/or the Faces wager. The amount of the play wager may be fixed for all players by table rules. If a player elects to fold rather than make the play wager, the player may lose his or her ante and Faces wagers, as indicated in stage 63 of FIG. 6. If any player makes a play wager, the game continues by revealing the dealer hand and determining whether the dealer hand has a qualifying holding, indicated in stage 64. In some embodiments, the qualifying holding may be defined to be any selected minimum number and combination of face cards. For example, a qualifying holding may be defined as any one or more face cards, any two or more face cards, any three or more face cards, etc. The qualifying holding may also be defined as any particular card(s) (e.g., K, Q or higher, etc.).

For example, a qualifying holding may be defined to be any dealer hand containing three or more face cards, or any hand containing two face cards if at least one of those face cards is of rank K. For example, a hand containing the cards K, Q, 9, 7, 6, 5 would be a qualifying holding under this definition, whereas a hand containing the cards Q, J, 9, 7, 6, 5 would not. A hand containing the cards Q, Q, J, 9, 7, 6 would also be a qualifying holding under this definition. In other embodiments, a qualifying holding may be defined to be any dealer hand containing three or more face cards, or any hand containing two face cards of rank K.

If the dealer hand does not have a qualifying holding, the ante wager may be returned or pushed to the player, indicated in stage 65 of FIG. 6, regardless of what cards are in the player hand. The play wager and Faces wager may each be resolved based on the number of face cards and/or the ranking of the face cards in the player hand in comparison with the dealer hand.

As indicated in stage 66 of FIG. 6, if the dealer hand has a qualifying holding, the ante wager, play wager, and Faces wager may each be resolved based on the number of face cards and/or the ranking of the face cards in the player hand in comparison with the dealer hand.

If the player hand beats the dealer hand, the ante wager (if the dealer qualifies) and the play wager (whether or not the dealer qualifies) may each win even money (i.e., a wager of $1 wins $1, in addition to having the wager returned), or may win any other selected amount. If the dealer hand beats the player hand, the ante wager (if the dealer qualifies) and the play wager (whether or not the dealer qualifies) may each lose (i.e., the dealer or house retains the wager). If the player hand and the dealer hand tie, the ante wager (if the dealer qualifies) and the play wager (whether or not the dealer qualifies) may each be pushed or returned to the player.

Determining whether the player hand or the dealer hand beats the other may be performed as described above with respect to FIG. 2. However, in some embodiments, the ranks of any non-face cards may be ignored entirely, such that non-face cards have no effect on the outcome of any wagers. For example, referring to FIG. 2, operation 20 illustrates determining which hand (i.e., of the dealer hand and the player hand) contains more face cards. If the hands contain different numbers of face cards, the hand with more face cards wins. If the hands each contain the same number of face cards, the highest-ranking face card in each hand is compared, as illustrated in operation 23. For purposes of resolving the ante wager and the play wager, unless there is a tie in a number of face cards held, the relative ranks of each face card may be irrelevant to the game's outcome. For example, the face cards may be evaluated based on the ranking, from high to low, of K. Q. J. Thus, if the dealer hand contains the cards K, Q, J, 6, 5, 4, and the player hand contains the cards Q, Q, J, 8, 7, 4 (a tie with the dealer hand, based on the number of face cards), the player hand would lose (because K outranks Q). If the highest-ranking face card in each hand has the same rank, the next-highest-ranking face card may be considered, until all the face cards are compared. Thus if the dealer hand contains the cards K, Q, J, 6, 5, 4, and the player hand contains the cards K, J, J, 8, 7, 4, the player hand would lose (because Q outranks J). In the event that the dealer hand and the player hand each contain the same number and rank of face cards, the hands may be considered as a tie (regardless of the ranks of any non-face cards in the hands). Thus, a dealer hand of Q, Q, J, 5, 4, 3 would tie a player hand of Q, Q, J, 9, 8, 8.

The Faces wager may be paid (if the dealer hand has a qualifying holding) based at least in part on the number of face cards in the player hand. In some embodiments, the Faces wager may be paid only if the player hand beats the dealer hand. The Faces wager may be paid when the player hand beats the dealer hand according to a fixed-odds paytable, as shown in Table IV.

TABLE IV Number of Face Cards in Player Hand Faces Wager Payout 6 25 to 1  5 3 to 1 4 1 to 1 3 or less Push

If the dealer hand beats the player hand, the Faces wager may lose (i.e., the dealer or house may retain the Faces wager). If the player hand ties the dealer hand, the Faces wager may be pushed or returned to the player.

The Picture Perfect side bet wager may pay based on the player hand even if the player folds, and even if the dealer hand does not qualify, as indicated in stage 67. In some embodiments, the Picture Perfect wager is paid based on a fixed-odds paytable. For example, the Picture Perfect wager may pay as shown in Table V.

TABLE V Picture Perfect Face Cards in Player Hand Wager Payout 6 Same Rank Pictures 1,000 to 1    5 Same Rank Pictures 200 to 1  4 Same Rank Pictures 20 to 1  3 Same Rank Pictures 3 to 1 2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures 2 to 1

In other embodiments, the paytable may be selected based on a desired house advantage, marketing reasons, or other concerns. For example, Table VI shows some of the various alternative paytables that may be used.

TABLE VI Face Cards in Alterna- Alterna- Alterna- Alterna- Player Hand tive 1 tive 2 tive 3 tive 4 6 Same Rank 1,500 to 1    3,000 to 1    300 to 1 300 to 1 Pictures 5 Same Rank 150 to 1  150 to 1  100 to 1 100 to 1 Pictures 4 Same Rank 15 to 1  15 to 1   15 to 1  10 to 1 Pictures 3 Same Rank 3 to 1 3 to 1  3 to 1  3 to 1 Pictures 2 Same Rank and 3 to 1 3 to 1  3 to 1  3 to 1 Suit Pictures

The paytables for the Faces wager and the Picture Perfect wager may provide incentives for players to play the game by providing the opportunity for a relatively large payout. The anticipation of winning a payout much larger than the wager may make the game more enjoyable to players. By paying a winning Picture Perfect wager even when the player folds, the game may provide players with additional incentives and opportunities to win, and thus, may make the game more exciting or desirable for players.

Various platforms are contemplated that are suitable for implementation of embodiments of wagering games according to this disclosure. For example, embodiments of wagering games may be implemented as live table games with an in-person dealer, electronic gaming machines, partially or fully automated table games, and partially or fully automated, network-administered games (e.g., Internet games) wherein game results may be produced utilizing a processor or a live video feed of a dealer administering a game from a remote studio.

As previously noted, any of the present methods and games may be played as a live casino table card game, as a hybrid casino table card game (with virtual cards or virtual chips), on a multi-player electronic platform (e.g., as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0164759. “Electronic Gaming Machine with Architecture Supporting a Virtual Dealer and Virtual Cards,” published Jul. 28, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,676, “Card Shuffler with Reading Capability Integrated Into Multiplayer Automated Gaming Table,” issued Feb. 16, 2010; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,958, “Automated Multiplayer Game Table with Unique Image Feed of Dealer,” issued Sep. 25, 2012; the disclosure of each of which patents and publications is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference), on a personal computer for practice, on a hand-held game for practice, on a legally authorized site on the Internet, or on a play-for-fun site on the Internet.

For example, in one embodiment, the players may be remotely located from a live dealer, and a live dealer and a game table may be displayed to players on their monitors via a video feed. The players' video feeds may be transmitted to the dealer and may also be shared among the players at the table. In a sample embodiment, a central station may include a plurality of betting-type game devices and an electronic camera for each game device. A plurality of player stations, remotely located with respect to the central station, may each include a monitor for displaying a selected game device at the central station, and input means for selecting a game device and for placing a bet by a player at the player's station relating to an action involving an element of chance to occur at the selected game device. Further details on gambling systems and methods for remotely located players are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,741, “Gambling Game System and Method for Remotely-Located Players,” issued Jun. 29, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a playing surface 100 for implementing a wagering game within the scope of this disclosure. Embodiments of methods for administering wagering games may be carried out using a wagering game table having a playing surface 100 (also referred to herein as a “layout”). The playing surface 100 may include multiple player areas 102, (e.g., six player areas 102). The playing surface 100 may also include a dealer area 104 (also referred to herein as a “dealer position”).

FIG. 8 is an enlarged diagram of one of the player positions 102 of the playing surface 100 of FIG. 7, wherein the player area 102 is configured for implementation of an embodiment according to the present disclosure. In administering a round of the wagering game, a mandatory ante wager, placed on an ante wager area 106 and at least partially covering the ante wager area 106, may be accepted from a player. A mandatory Faces wager, placed at least partially on a Faces wager area 108, may be accepted from the player. The mandatory Faces wager may be required to be equal to the ante wager. In other embodiments, the Faces wager may be unequal to the ante wager. Each player area 102 may include a play wager area 110 and a Picture Perfect wager area 112. Players may place a play wager on the play wager area 110 and a Picture Perfect side bet wager on the Picture Perfect wager area 112 as determined by the rules of the game. In some embodiments, players may indicate wagers by other means, such as by means of a user input, such as a keypad or touchscreen controls. A signal indicating a user input is generated by a user pressing a button or clicking an option on a computer. The computer may then place (e.g., by graphic illustration) a graphical representation of a wager at least partially over the wager areas 106, 108, 110, 112. When a wager is not placed by a player (e.g., when a player folds), the wager area for that wager remains exposed. Wagers may be received on the play wager area 110 after cards are dealt. Players may place optional Picture Perfect or side wagers on the Picture Perfect wager area 112. For example, optional Picture Perfect wagers may be received before cards are dealt, such as concurrently with the placement of ante and Faces wagers. Each player area 102 may optionally include one or more information areas 114. The information areas 114 may include wager payouts (e.g., payout tables), abbreviated rules, or other predefined information provided by the administrator to the player.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ante wager area 106, the Faces wager area 108, the play wager area 110, and the Picture Perfect wager area 112 may be organized in distinct groupings. For example, the Picture Perfect wager area 112 may be proximate to the dealer position 104 (FIG. 7), the play wager area 110 may be proximate to the player's position, with the ante wager area 106 and the Faces wager area 108 between the side or Picture Perfect wager area 112 and the play wager area 110. As shown in FIG. 8, the Picture Perfect wager area 112 may be in a top row (i.e., farthest from the player), the ante wager area 106 and the Faces wager area 108 may be in a middle row, and the play wager area 110 may be in a bottom row. Some of the wager areas may be defined by different shapes, different fonts, or different colors. For example, the Picture Perfect wager area 112 may be of a different shape (e.g., a diamond) than the shape of the ante wager area 106 and Faces wager area 108 (e.g., circles) and, in some embodiments, different than the shape of the play wager area 110 (e.g., a square). Each of the wager areas 106, 108, 110, 112 may bear text corresponding to one wager of the various acceptable wagers. Thus, each wager area 106, 108, 110, 112 is visually distinguished from other wager areas and visually designates each wager area for only one of the various acceptable wagers. Acceptance of a wager on one wager area designates the wager to be resolved based on the winning, losing, and/or push conditions predefined as associated with that wager area. Payouts on wagers so received may be delivered proximate to the associated wager area.

Game play on the playing surface 100 may proceed as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. The dealer may deal hands of cards to the player(s) and the dealer after the ante wager, Faces wager, and, optionally, the Picture Perfect wager, have been placed. The player(s) may view their cards and decide whether to fold or place the play wager. The wagers are then evaluated according to the rules of the game. Winning wagers may be paid by the dealer proximate to the wager areas.

In some embodiments, the wagering games described herein may be played against a game administrator (i.e., against “the house” such that the game is “house-banked”). Such implementations may involve the game administrator (e.g., a casino or other gaming establishment) accepting (e.g., via a dealer or other agent of the administrator) wagers of real-world monetary value, distributing payouts of real-world monetary value on winning wagers to players, and collecting real-world monetary value of lost wagers. Such “house-banked” embodiments may be implemented, for example, in the form of a live table game, in a virtual table game, in an electronic game, or in a networked (e.g., Internet) game configuration.

In other embodiments, the wagering games, or at least one wager associated with the wagering games, may involve a player in a casino or other gaming establishment acting as banker, accepting wagers having real-world monetary value, issuing payouts having real-world monetary value, and collecting real-world monetary value of lost wagers (i.e., be “player-banked”). In some embodiments where at least one wager is player-banked, the game administrator may collect a player entrance fee, or a rake on each player-banked wager accepted from the participating players, including the banker.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a gaming table 200 for implementing wagering games in accordance with this disclosure. The gaming table 200 may be a physical article of furniture around which participants in the wagering game may stand or sit and on which the physical objects used for administering and otherwise participating in the wagering game may be supported, positioned, moved, transferred, and otherwise manipulated. For example, the gaming table 200 may include a gaming surface 202 on which the physical objects used in administering the wagering game may be located. The gaming surface 202 may be, for example, a felt fabric covering a hard surface of the table, and a design, conventionally referred to as a “layout,” specific to the game being administered may be physically printed on the gaming surface 202. As another example, the gaming surface 202 may be a surface of a transparent or translucent material (e.g., glass or plexiglass) onto which a projector 203, which may be located, for example, above or below the gaming surface 202, may illuminate a layout specific to the wagering game being administered. In such an example, the specific layout projected onto the gaming surface 202 may be changeable, enabling the gaming table 200 to be used to administer different variations of wagering games within the scope of this disclosure or other wagering games. Additional details of illustrative gaming surfaces and projectors are disclosed in U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2014/0370980, “Electronic Gaming Displays, Gaming Tables Including Electronic Gaming Displays and Related Assemblies, Systems and Methods,” published Dec. 18, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. In either example, the gaming surface 202 may include, for example, designated areas for player positions; areas in which one or more of player cards, dealer cards, or community cards may be dealt; areas in which wagers may be accepted; areas in which wagers may be grouped into pots; and areas in which rules, paytables, and other instructions related to the wagering game may be displayed. As a specific, non-limiting example, the gaming surface 202 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In some embodiments, the gaming table 200 may include a display 210 separate from the gaming surface 202. The display 210 may be configured to face players, prospective players, and spectators and may display, for example, rules, paytables, real-time game status, such as wagers accepted and cards dealt, historical game information, such as amounts won, amounts wagered, percentage of hands won, and notable hands achieved, and other instructions and information related to the wagering game. The display 210 may be a physically fixed display, such as a poster, in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the display 210 may change automatically in response to a stimulus (e.g., may be an electronic video monitor).

The gaming table 200 may include particular machines and apparatuses configured to facilitate the administration of the wagering game. For example, the gaming table 200 may include one or more card-handling devices 204. The card-handling device 204A may be, for example, a shoe from which physical cards 206 from one or more decks of playing cards may be withdrawn, one at a time or more than one at a time. More specifically, the card-handling device 204 may be, for example, a mechanized, automatic shoe (i.e., a shoe including an internal, electromechanical, self-acting mechanism to handle card movement within the shoe, present cards for withdrawal, and optionally identify cards) or a nonmechanized shoe. Such a card-handling device 204A may include, for example, a housing in which cards 206 are located, an opening from which cards 206 are removed, and a card-presenting mechanism (e.g., a moving weight on a ramp configured to push a stack of cards down the ramp) configured to continually present new cards 206 for withdrawal from the shoe. Additional details of an illustrative card-handling device 204A configured as a shoe are found in U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2010/0038849, “Intelligent Automatic Shoe and Cartridge,” published Feb. 18, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

The card-handling device 204B may be, for example, a shuffler configured to reorder physical cards 206 from one or more decks of playing cards and present randomized cards 206 for use in the wagering game. Such a card-handling device 204B may include, for example, a housing, a shuffling mechanism configured to shuffle cards, and card inputs and outputs (e.g., trays). More specifically, the card-handling device 204B may be, for example, a batch shuffler, a continuous shuffler, or a combination shuffler and shoe. Additional details of an illustrative card-handling device 204B configured as a shuffler are found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,574, “Apparatus, System, Method, and Computer-Readable Medium for Casino Card Handling with Multiple Hand Recall Feature,” issued Dec. 6, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. Shufflers such as the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,574 may include card recognition capability. Additionally, game rules may also be programmed within the shuffler such that the processor of the shuffler is capable of identifying a winning wager prior to automatic delivery of cards for resolving the wager into a shoe or other card delivery device. As a specific, non-limiting example, the card-handling device 204 may be a combination shuffler and shoe in which the output for the shuffler is a shoe.

In some embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may be configured and programmed to administer at least a portion of a wagering game being played utilizing the card-handling device 204. For example, the card-handling device 204 may be programmed and configured to present one or more cards for use according to game rules. More specifically, the card-handling device 204 may be programmed and configured to, for example, contain a randomized set of cards including one or more 52-card decks of standard playing cards and, optionally, any specialty cards (e.g., a cut card, bonus cards, wild cards, or other specialty cards). In some embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may present individual cards, one at a time, for withdrawal from the card-handling device 204. In other embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may present packets of cards representing a subset of the complete set of cards handled by the card-handling device 204 (e.g., individual hands, one hand at a time, a group of hands, a partial hand or hands and then additional cards as needed to complete the hand or hands, a hand or hands and any burn or specialty cards to be used in the same round as the hand or hands) for withdrawal from the card-handling device 204. In some such embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may accept dealer input, such as, for example, a number of replacement cards for discarded cards, a number of hit cards to add, or a number of partial hands to be completed. In other such embodiments, the device may accept a dealer input from a menu of game options indicating a game selection, which will select programming to deliver the requisite number of cards to the game, depending on the game rules. The game rules may be programmed into the memory of the card-handling device 204. As a specific, non-limiting example, the card-handling device 204 may present a cards six at a time for withdrawal, such that a dealer draws entire hands at once to deal to each player, as described previously in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6.

In some embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may employ a random number generator device to determine card order, such as, for example, a final card order or an order of insertion of cards into a compartment configured to form a packet of cards. The compartments may be sequentially numbered, and a random number assigned to each compartment number prior to delivery of the first card. In other embodiments, the random number generator may select a location in the stack of cards to separate the stack into two sub-stacks, creating an insertion point within the stack at a random location. The next card may be inserted into the insertion point. In yet other embodiments, the random number generator may randomly select a location in a stack to randomly remove cards by activating an ejector.

Other functions of the random number generator may be game-specific. For example, a random number generator internal or external to the shuffler may be used to randomly select an order in which players receive cards. Regardless of whether the random number generator is hardware or software, it may be used to implement specific game administrations methods of the present disclosure. A suitable device employing random number generation for card management and randomization is marketed under the name MD3® by Bally Gaming, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nev. Aspects of this device are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,579,289, “Automatic System and Methods for Accurate Card Handling,” issued Nov. 12, 2013, and the shuffling mechanism is fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,565, “Card Shuffler with Card Rank and Value Reading Capability,” issued Mar. 16, 2010, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

The card-handling device 204 may simply be supported on the gaming surface 202 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may be mounted into the gaming table 202 such that the card-handling device 204 is not manually removable from the gaming table 202 without the use of tools. In some embodiments, the deck or decks of playing cards used may be formed from standard, 52-card decks, as previously described herein. In other embodiments, the deck or decks used may include cards, such as, for example, jokers, wild cards, bonus cards, etc. The shuffler may also be configured to handle and dispense security cards, such as cut cards.

In some embodiments, the card-handling device 204 may include an electronic display 207 for displaying information related to the wagering game being administered. For example, the electronic display 207 may display a menu of game options, the name of the game selected, the number of cards per hand to be dispensed, acceptable amounts for wagers (e.g., maximums and minimums), numbers of cards to be dealt to recipients, locations of particular recipients for particular cards, winning and losing wagers, paytables, winning hands, losing hands, and payout amounts. In other embodiments, information related to the wagering game may be displayed on another electronic display, such as, for example, the display 210 described previously.

The type of card-handling device 204 employed to administer embodiments of the disclosed wagering game, as well as the type of card deck employed and the number of decks, may be specific the game to be implemented. Cards used in games of this disclosure may be, for example, playing cards from one or more decks, each deck having cards of four suits (clubs, hearts, diamonds, and spades) and of rankings king (two cards per suit), queen (two cards per suit), jack (two cards per suit), and ten through four in descending order (one card each rank per suit). As a more specific example, one, two, six, seven, or eight decks of such cards may be intermixed. Typically, six or eight decks of 52 playing cards each may be intermixed and formed into a set. In some embodiments, randomization of the cards may occur off-site, such as, for example, by purchasing the set of cards in its randomized form and introducing the randomized set of cards into the card-handling device 204 for delivery. In other embodiments, the cards may be randomized on-site before, during, or both before and during administration of the wagering game. For example, the set of cards may be randomized in a batch shuffler and introduced into a shoe for dealing or the set of cards may be continuously shuffled by a continuous shuffler, introduced in sets into a shoe integral to the continuous shuffler, withdrawn from the shoe and used for game play, and finally reintroduced into the continuous shuffler. After randomization, the set of cards may be transferred into another portion of the card-handling device 204 or another card-handling device 204 altogether, such as a mechanized shoe capable of reading card rank and suit. More specifically, the shoe disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,511,684, “Card-Reading Shoe with Inventory Correction Feature and Methods of Correcting Inventory,” issued Aug. 20, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, may be used to automatically dispense one or more cards at a time from the randomized set.

In some embodiments, the wagering game may be hand-pitched. For example, a live, in-person dealer may deal cards from a set not located in a card-handling device. In some such embodiments, the dealer may also randomize the cards by hand-shuffling the set of cards.

The gaming table 200 may include one or more chip racks 208 configured to facilitate accepting wagers, transferring lost wagers to the house, and exchanging monetary value for wagering elements 212 (e.g., chips). For example, the chip rack 208 may include a series of token support rows, each of which may support tokens of a different type (e.g., color and denomination). In some embodiments, the chip rack 208 may be configured to automatically present a selected number of chips using a chip-cutting-and-delivery mechanism. Additional details of an illustrative chip rack 208 and chip-cutting-and-delivery mechanism are found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,980, “Chip Stack Cutter Devices for Displacing Chips in a Chip Stack and Chip-Stacking Apparatuses Including Such Cutter Devices,” issued May 3, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. In some embodiments, the gaming table 200 may include a drop box 214 for money that is accepted in exchange for wagering elements 212. The drop box 214 may be, for example, a secure container (e.g., a safe or lockbox) having a one-way opening into which money may be inserted and a secure, lockable opening from which money may be retrieved. Such drop boxes 214 are known in the art, and may be incorporated directly into the gaming table 200 and may, in some embodiments, have a removable container for the retrieval of money in a separate, secure location.

When administering a wagering game in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure, a dealer 216 may receive money (e.g., cash) from a player in exchange for wagering elements 212. The dealer 216 may deposit the money in the drop box 214 and transfer physical wagering elements 212 to the player. The dealer 216 may accept one or more initial wagers (e.g., antes and other wagers) from the player, which may be reflected by the dealer 216 permitting the player to place one or more wagering elements 212 or other wagering tokens (e.g., cash) within designated areas (e.g., the wager areas 106, 108, 110, 112 shown in FIG. 8) on the gaming surface 202 associated with the various wagers of the wagering game. Once initial wagers have been accepted, the dealer 216 may remove physical cards 206 from the card-handling device 204 (e.g., individual cards, packets of cards, or the complete set of cards) in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the physical cards 206 may be hand-pitched (i.e., the dealer 216 may optionally shuffle the cards 206 to randomize the set and may hand-deal cards 206 from the randomized set of cards). The dealer 216 may position cards 206 within designated areas on the gaming surface 202, which may designate the cards 206 for use as individual player cards or dealer cards in accordance with game rules. House rules also may allow the player to place wagers during card distribution, or after card distribution, but before revealing the cards.

After dealing the cards 206, and during play, according to the game rules, any additional wagers (e.g., play bets) may be accepted, which may be reflected by the dealer 216 permitting the player to place one or more wagering elements 212 within designated areas (e.g., the play wager area 110, shown in FIG. 8) on the gaming surface 202 associated with the various wagers of the wagering game. In some embodiments, a player may fold, which may result in the dealer 216 collecting at least one of the wagering elements 212 from that player and transferring it to the house, which may be reflected by the wagering element 212 being returned to the chip rack 208. The dealer 216 may perform any additional card dealing and rounds of betting permitted in the wagering game. Finally, the dealer 216 may resolve the wagers, award winning wagers to the players, which may be accomplished by giving wagering elements 212 from the chip rack 208 to the players, and transferring losing wagers to the house, which may be accomplished by moving wagering elements 212 from the players to the chip rack 208.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an individual electronic gaming device 300 (e.g., an electronic gaming machine (EGM)) configured for implementing wagering games according to this disclosure. The individual electronic gaming device 300 may include an individual player position 314 including a player input area 332 configured to enable a player to interact with the individual electronic gaming device 300 through various input devices (e.g., buttons, levers, touchscreens). The individual electronic gaming device 300 may include a gaming screen 374 configured to display indicia for interacting with the individual electronic gaming device 300, such as through processing one or more programs stored in memory 340 to implement the rules of game play at the individual electronic gaming device 300. Accordingly, game play may be accommodated without involving physical playing cards, chips or other wagering elements, or live personnel. The action may instead be simulated by a control processor 350 operably coupled to the memory 340 and interacting with and controlling the individual electronic gaming device 300.

Although the individual electronic gaming device 300 displayed in FIG. 10 has an outline of a traditional gaming cabinet, the individual electronic gaming device 300 may be implemented in other ways, such as, for example, client software downloaded to a portable device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop computer. The individual electronic gaming device 300 may also be a non-portable personal computer (e.g., a desktop or all-in-one computer) or other computing device. In some embodiments, client software is not downloaded but is native to the device or is otherwise delivered with the device when distributed.

A communication device 360 may be included and operably coupled to the processor 350 such that information related to operation of the individual electronic gaming device 300, information related to the game play, or combinations thereof may be communicated between the individual electronic gaming device 300 and other devices, such as a server, through a suitable communication medium, such, as, for example, wired networks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks.

The gaming screen 374 may be carried by a generally vertically extending cabinet 376 of the individual electronic gaming device 300. The individual electronic gaming device 300 may further include banners to communicate rules of game play and the like, such as along a top portion 378 of the cabinet 376 of the individual electronic gaming device 300. The individual electronic gaming device 300 may further include additional decorative lights (not shown), and speakers (not shown) for transmitting and optionally receiving sounds during game play. Further detail of an example of an individual electronic gaming device 300 (as well as other embodiments of tables and devices) is disclosed in U.S. Patent App. Pub. Ser. No. 2013/0324217, “Methods and Systems for Electronic Gaming,” published Dec. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

Some embodiments may be implemented at locations including a plurality of player stations. Such player stations may include an electronic display screen for display of game information (e.g., cards, wagers, and game instructions) and for accepting wagers and facilitating credit balance adjustments. Such player stations may, optionally, be integrated in a table format, may be distributed throughout a casino or other gaming site, or may include both grouped and distributed player stations.

FIG. 11 is a top view of a suitable table 400 configured for implementing wagering games according to this disclosure. The table 400 may include a playing surface 404. The table 400 may include player stations 412. Each player station 412 may include a player interface 416, which may be used for displaying game information (e.g., game instructions, input options, wager information, game outcomes, etc.) and accepting player elections. The player interface 416 may be a display screen in the form of a touchscreen, which may be at least substantially flush with the playing surface 404 in some embodiments. Each player interface 416 may be operated by its own local game processor 414 (shown in dashed lines), although, in some embodiments, a central game processor 428 (shown in dashed lines) may be employed and may communicate directly with player interfaces 416. In some embodiments, a combination of individual local game processors 414 and the central game processor 428 may be employed. Each of the processors 414 and 428 may be operably coupled to memory including one or more programs related to the rules of game play at the table 400.

A communication device 460 may be included and may be operably coupled to one or more of the local game processors 414, the central game processor 428, or combinations thereof, such that information related to operation of the table 400, information related to the game play, or combinations thereof may be communicated between the table 400 and other devices through a suitable communication medium, such as, for example, wired networks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks.

The table 400 may further include additional features, such as a dealer chip tray 420, which may be used by the dealer to cash players in and out of the wagering game, whereas wagers and balance adjustments during game play may be performed using, for example, virtual chips (e.g., images or text representing wagers). For embodiments using physical cards 406 a and 406 b, the table 400 may further include a card-handling device 422, which may be configured to shuffle, read, and deliver physical cards for the dealer and players to use during game play or, alternatively, a card shoe configured to read and deliver cards that have already been randomized. For embodiments using virtual cards, the virtual cards may be displayed at the individual player interfaces 416.

The table 400 may further include a dealer interface 418, which, like the player interfaces 416, may include touchscreen controls for receiving dealer inputs and assisting the dealer in administering the wagering game. The table 400 may further include an upright display 430 configured to display images that depict game information such as paytables, hand counts, historical win/loss information by player, and a wide variety of other information considered useful to the players. The upright display 430 may be double sided to provide such information to players as well as to casino personnel.

Further detail of an example of a table and player displays is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,262,475, “Chipless Table Split Screen Feature,” issued Sep. 11, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. Although an embodiment is described showing individual discrete player stations, in some embodiments, the entire playing surface 404 may be an electronic display that is logically partitioned to permit game play from a plurality of players for receiving inputs from, and displaying game information to, the players, the dealer, or both.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a suitable table 500 configured for implementing wagering games according to the present disclosure utilizing a virtual dealer. The table 500 may include player positions 514 arranged in a bank about an arcuate edge 520 of a video device 558 that may comprise a card screen 564 and a dealer screen 560. The dealer screen 560 may display a video simulation of the dealer (i.e., a virtual dealer) for interacting with the video device 558, such as through processing one or more stored programs stored in memory 595 to implement the rules of game play at the video device 558. The dealer screen 560 may be carried by a generally vertically extending cabinet 562 of the video device 558. The card screen 564 may be configured to display at least one or more of the dealer's cards and player's cards by the virtual dealer on the dealer screen 560.

Each of the player positions 514 may include a player interface area 532 configured for wagering and game play interactions with the video device 558 and virtual dealer. Accordingly, game play may be accommodated without involving physical playing cards, poker chips, and live personnel. The action may instead be simulated by a control processor 597 interacting with and controlling the video device 558. The control processor 597 may be programmed, by known techniques, to implement the rules of game play at the video device 558. As such, the control processor 597 may interact and communicate with display/input interfaces and data entry inputs for each player interface area 532 of the video device 558. Other embodiments of tables and gaming devices may include a control processor that may be similarly adapted to the specific configuration of its associated device.

A communication device 599 may be included and operably coupled to the control processor 597 such that information related to operation of the table 500, information related to the game play, or combinations thereof may be communicated between the table 500 and other devices, such as a central server, through a suitable communication medium, such as wired networks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks.

The video device 558 may further include banners communicating rules of play and the like, which may be located along one or more walls 570 of the cabinet 562. The video device 558 may further include additional decorative lights and speakers, which may be located on an underside surface 566, for example, of a generally horizontally extending top 568 of the cabinet 562 of the video device 558 generally extending toward the player positions 514.

Further detail of an example of a table and player displays is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,958, “Automated Multiplayer Game Table with Unique Image Feed of Dealer,” issued Sep. 25, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. Although an embodiment is described showing individual discrete player stations, in some embodiments, the entire playing surface (e.g., player interface areas 532, card screen 564, etc.) may be a unitary electronic display that is logically partitioned to permit game play from a plurality of players for receiving inputs from, and displaying game information to the players, the dealer, or both.

In some embodiments, wagering games in accordance with this disclosure may be administered using a gaming system employing a client-server architecture (e.g., over the Internet, a local area network, etc.). FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of an illustrative gaming system 600 for implementing wagering games according to this disclosure. The gaming system 600 may enable end users to remotely access game content. Such game content may include, without limitation, various types of wagering games such as card games, dice games, big wheel games, roulette, scratch off games (“scratchers”), and any other wagering game where the game outcome is determined, in whole or in part, by one or more random events. This includes, but is not limited to, Class II and Class III games as defined under 25 U.S.C. §2701 et seq. (“Indian Gaming Regulatory Act”). Such games may include banked and/or non-banked games.

The wagering games supported by the gaming system 600 may be operated with real currency or with virtual credits or other virtual (e.g., electronic) value indicia. For example, the real currency option may be used with traditional casino and lottery-type wagering games in which money or other items of value are wagered and may be cashed out at the end of a game session. The virtual credits option may be used with wagering games in which credits (or other symbols) may be issued to a player to be used for the wagers. A player may be credited with credits in any way allowed, including, but not limited to, a player purchasing credits; being awarded credits as part of a contest or a win event in this or another game (including non-wagering games); being awarded credits as a reward for use of a product, casino, or other enterprise, time played in one session, or games played; or may be as simple as being awarded virtual credits upon logging in at a particular time or with a particular frequency, etc. Although credits may be won or lost, the ability of the player to cash out credits may be controlled or prevented. In one example, credits acquired (e.g., purchased or awarded) for use in a play-for-fun game may be limited to non-monetary redemption items, awards, or credits usable in the future or for another game or gaming session. The same credit redemption restrictions may be applied to some or all of credits won in a wagering game as well.

An additional variation includes web-based sites having both play-for-fun and wagering games, including issuance of free (non-monetary) credits usable to play the play-for-fun games. This feature may attract players to the site and to the games before they engage in wagering. In some embodiments, a limited number of free or promotional credits may be issued to entice players to play the games. Another method of issuing credits includes issuing free credits in exchange for identifying friends who may want to play. In another embodiment, additional credits may be issued after a period of time has elapsed to encourage the player to resume playing the game. The gaming system 600 may enable players to buy additional game credits to allow the player to resume play. Objects of value may be awarded to play-for-fun players, which may or may not be in a direct exchange for credits. For example, a prize may be awarded or won for a highest scoring play-for-fun player during a defined time interval. All variations of credit redemption are contemplated, as desired by game designers and game hosts (the person or entity controlling the hosting systems).

The gaming system 600 may include a gaming platform to establish a portal for an end user to access a wagering game hosted by one or more gaming servers 610 over a network 630. In some embodiments, games are accessed through a user interaction service 612. The gaming system 600 enables players to interact with a user device 620 through a user input device 624 and a display 622 and to communicate with one or more gaming servers 610 using a network 630 (e.g., the Internet). Typically, the user device is remote from the gaming server 610 and the network is the word-wide web (i.e., the Internet).

In some embodiments, the gaming servers 610 may be configured as a single server to administer wagering games in combination with the user device 620. In other embodiments, the gaming servers 610 may be configured as separate servers for performing separate, dedicated functions associated with administering wagering games. Accordingly, the following description also discusses “services” with the understanding that the various services may be performed by different servers or combinations of servers in different embodiments. As shown in FIG. 13, the gaming servers 610 may include a user interaction service 612, a game service 616, and an asset service 614. In some embodiments, one or more of the gaming servers 610 may communicate with an account server 632 performing an account service 632. As explained more fully below, for some wagering type games, the account service 632 may be separate and operated by a different entity than the gaming servers 610; however, in some embodiments, the account service 632 may also be operated by one or more of the gaming servers 610.

The user device 620 may communicate with the user interaction service 612 through the network 630. The user interaction service 612 may communicate with the game service 616 and provide game information to the user device 620. In some embodiments, the game service 616 may also include a game engine. The game engine may, for example, access, interpret, and apply game rules. In some embodiments, a single user device 620 communicates with a game provided by the game service 616, while other embodiments may include a plurality of user devices 620 configured to communicate and provide end users with access to the same game provided by the game service 616. In addition, a plurality of end users may be permitted to access a single user interaction service 612, or a plurality of user interaction services 612, to access the game service 616. The user interaction service 612 may enable a user to create and access a user account and interact with game service 616. The user interaction service 612 may enable users to initiate new games, join existing games, and interface with games being played by the user.

The user interaction service 612 may also provide a client for execution on the user device 620 for accessing the gaming servers 610. The client provided by the gaming servers 610 for execution on the user device 620 may be any of a variety of implementations depending on the user device 620 and method of communication with the gaming servers 610. In one embodiment, the user device 620 may connect to the gaming servers 610 using a web browser, and the client may execute within a browser window or frame of the web browser. In another embodiment, the client may be a stand-alone executable on the user device 620.

For example, the client may comprise a relatively small amount of script (e.g., JAVASCRIPT®), also referred to as a “script driver,” including scripting language that controls an interface of the client. The script driver may include simple function calls requesting information from the gaming servers 610. In other words, the script driver stored in the client may merely include calls to functions that are externally defined by, and executed by, the gaming servers 610. As a result, the client may be characterized as a “thin client.” The client may simply send requests to the gaming servers 610 rather than performing logic itself. The client may receive player inputs, and the player inputs may be passed to the gaming servers 610 for processing and executing the wagering game. In some embodiments, this may involve providing specific graphical display information for the display 622 as well as game outcomes.

As another example, the client may comprise an executable file rather than a script. The client may do more local processing than does a script driver, such as calculating where to show what game symbols upon receiving a game outcome from the game service 616 through user interaction service 612. In some embodiments, portions of an asset service 614 may be loaded onto the client and may be used by the client in processing and updating graphical displays. Some form of data protection, such as end-to-end encryption, may be used when data is transported over the network 630. The network 630 may be any network, such as the Internet or a local area network.

The gaming servers 610 may include an asset service 614, which may host various media assets (e.g., text, audio, video, and image files) to send to the user device 620 for presenting the various wagering games to the end user. In other words, the assets presented to the end user may be stored separately from the user device 620. For example, the user device 620 requests the assets appropriate for the game played by the user; as another example, especially relating to thin clients, just those assets that are needed for a particular display event will be sent by the gaming servers 610, including as few as one asset. The user device 620 may call a function defined at the user interaction service 612 or asset service 614, which may determine which assets are to be delivered to the user device 620 as well as how the assets are to be presented by the user device 620 to the end user. Different assets may correspond to the various user devices 620 and their clients that may have access to the game service 616 and to different variations of wagering games.

The gaming servers 610 may include the game service 616, which may be programmed to administer wagering games and determine game play outcomes to provide to the user interaction service 612 for transmission to the user device 620. For example, the game service 616 may include game rules for one or more wagering games, such that the game service 616 controls some or all of the game flow for a selected wagering game as well as the determined game outcomes. The game service 616 may include paytables and other game logic. The game service 616 may perform random number generation for determining random game elements of the wagering game. In one embodiment, the game service 616 may be separated from the user interaction service 612 by a firewall or other method of preventing unauthorized access to the game service 612 by the general members of the network 630.

The user device 620 may present a gaming interface to the player and communicate the user interaction from the user input device 624 to the gaming servers 610. The user device 620 may be any electronic system capable of displaying gaming information, receiving user input, and communicating the user input to the gaming servers 610. For example, the user device 620 may be a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, a set-top box, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), a kiosk, a terminal, or another computing device. As a specific, non-limiting example, the user device 620 operating the client may be an interactive electronic gaming system 300 (see FIG. 10), as described above. The client may be a specialized application or may be executed within a generalized application capable of interpreting instructions from an interactive gaming system, such as a web browser.

The client may interface with an end user through a web page or an application that runs on a device including, but not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet, or a general computer, or the client may be any other computer program configurable to access the gaming servers 610. The client may be illustrated within a casino webpage (or other interface) indicating that the client is embedded into a webpage, which is supported by a web browser executing on the user device 620.

In some embodiments, components of the gaming system 600 may be operated by different entities. For example, the user device 620 may be operated by a third party, such as a casino or an individual, that links to the gaming servers 610, which may be operated, for example, by a wagering game service provider. Therefore, in some embodiments, the user device 620 and client may be operated by a different administrator than the operator of the game service 616. In other words, the user device 620 may be part of a third-party system that does not administer or otherwise control the gaming servers 610 or game service 616. In other embodiments, the user interaction service 612 and asset service 614 may be operated by a third-party system. For example, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) may operate the user interaction service 612, user device 620, or combination thereof to provide its customers access to game content managed by a different entity that may control the game service 616, amongst other functionality. In still other embodiments, all functions may be operated by the same administrator. For example, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) may elect to perform each of these functions in-house, such as providing access to the user device 620, delivering the actual game content, and administering the gaming system 600.

The gaming servers 610 may communicate with one or more external account servers 632 (also referred to herein as an account service 632), optionally through another firewall. For example, the gaming servers 610 may not directly accept wagers or issue payouts. That is, the gaming servers 610 may facilitate online casino gaming but may not be part of a self-contained online casino itself. Another entity (e.g., a casino or any account holder or financial system of record) may operate and maintain its external account service 632 to accept bets and make payout distributions. The gaming servers 610 may communicate with the account service 632 to verify the existence of funds for wagering and to instruct the account service 632 to execute debits and credits. As another example, the gaming servers 610 may directly accept bets and make payout distributions, such as in the case where an administrator of the gaming servers 610 operates as a casino.

Additional features may be supported by the gaming servers 610, such as hacking and cheating detection, data storage and archival, metrics generation, messages generation, output formatting for different end user devices, as well as other features and operations. For example, the gaming servers 610 may include additional features and configurations as described in U.S. Patent App. Pub. Ser. No. 2013/0184079, “Network Gaming Architecture, Gaming Systems, and Related Methods” published Jul. 18, 2013, and U.S. Patent App. Pub. Ser. No. 2013/0184059, “Network Gaming Architecture, Gaming Systems, and Related Methods” published Jul. 18, 2013, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a table 682 for implementing wagering games including a live dealer feed. Features of the gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13) described above in connection with FIG. 13 may be utilized in connection with this embodiment, except as further described. Rather than cards being determined by computerized random processes, physical cards (e.g., from a standard, 52-card deck of playing cards) may be dealt by a live dealer 680 at a table 682 from a card-handling system 684. A table manager 686 may assist the dealer 680 in facilitating play of the game by transmitting a video feed of the dealer's actions to the user device 620 and transmitting player elections to the dealer 680. As described above, the table manager 686 may act as or communicate with a gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13) (e.g., acting as the gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13) itself or as an intermediate client interposed between and operationally connected to the user device 620 and the gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13)) to provide gaming at the table 682 to users of the gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13). Thus, the table manager 686 may communicate with the user device 620 through a network 630 (see FIG. 13), and may be a part of a larger online casino, or may be operated as a separate system facilitating game play. In various embodiments, each table 682 may be managed by an individual table manager 686 constituting a gaming device, which may receive and process information relating to that table. For simplicity of description, these functions are described as being performed by the table manager 686, though certain functions may be performed by an intermediary gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13), such as the one shown and described in connection with FIG. 13. In some embodiments, the gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13) may match remotely located players to tables 682 and facilitate transfer of information between user devices 620 and tables 682, such as wagering amounts and player option elections, without managing gameplay at individual tables. In other embodiments, functions of the table manager 686 may be incorporated into a gaming system 600 (see FIG. 13).

The table 682 includes a camera 670 and optionally a microphone 672 to capture video and audio feeds relating to the table 682. The camera 670 may be trained on the dealer 680, play area 687, and card-handling system 684. As the game is administered by the dealer 680, the video feed captured by the camera 670 may be shown to the player using the user device 620, and any audio captured by the microphone 672 may be played to the player using the user device 620. In some embodiments, the user device 620 may also include a camera, microphone, or both, which may also capture feeds to be shared with the dealer 680 and other players. In some embodiments, the camera 670 may be trained to capture images of the card faces, chips, and chip stacks on the surface of the gaming table. Known image extraction techniques may be used to obtain card count and card rank and suit information from the card images. An example of suitable image extraction software is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,285, “Automated Game Monitoring,” issued Mar. 8, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated in this disclosure in its entirety by this reference.

Card and wager data in some embodiments may be used by the table manager 686 to determine game outcome. The data extracted from the camera 670 may be used to confirm the card data obtained from the card-handling system 684, to determine a player position that received a card, and for general security monitoring purposes, such as detecting player or dealer card switching, for example. Examples of card data include, for example, suit and rank information of a card, suit and rank information of each card in a hand, rank information of a hand, and rank information of every hand in a round of play.

The live video feed permits the dealer to show cards dealt by the card-handling system 684 and play the game as though the player were at a live casino. In addition, the dealer can prompt a user by announcing a player's election is to be performed. In embodiments where a microphone 672 is included, the dealer 680 can verbally announce action or request an election by a player. In some embodiments, the user device 620 also includes a camera or microphone, which also captures feeds to be shared with the dealer 680 and other players.

The card-handling system 684 may be as shown and described previously in connection with FIG. 14. The play area 686 depicts player positions for playing the game, such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As determined by the rules of the game, the player at the user device 620 may be presented options for responding to an event in the game using a client as described with reference to FIG. 13.

Player elections may be transmitted to the table manager 686, which may display player elections to the dealer 680 using a dealer display 688 and player action indicator 690 on the table 682. For example, the dealer display 688 may display information regarding where to deal the next card or which player position is responsible for the next action.

In some embodiments, the table manager 686 may receive card information from the card-handling system 684 to identify cards dealt by the card-handling system 684. For example, the card-handling system 684 may include a card reader to determine card information from the cards. The card information may include the rank and suit of each dealt card and hand information.

The table manager 686 may apply game rules to the card information, along with the accepted player decisions, to determine gameplay events and wager results. Alternatively, the wager results may be determined by the dealer 680 and input to the table manager 686, which may be used to confirm automatically determined results by the gaming system.

FIG. 15 is a simplified block diagram showing elements of computing devices that may be used in systems and apparatuses of this disclosure. A computing system 640 may be a user-type computer, a file server, a computer server, a notebook computer, a tablet, a handheld device, a mobile device, or other computer system for executing software. The computing system 640 may be configured to execute software programs containing computing instructions and may include one or more processors 642, memory 646, one or more displays 658, one or more user interface elements 644, one or more communication elements 656, and one or more storage devices 648 (also referred to herein simply as storage 648).

The processors 642 may be configured to execute a wide variety of operating systems and applications including the computing instructions for administering wagering games of the present disclosure.

The processors 642 may be configured as a general-purpose processor such as a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the general-purpose processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine suitable for carrying out processes of the present disclosure. The processor 642 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

A general-purpose processor may be part of a general-purpose computer. However, when configured to execute instructions (e.g., software code) for carrying out embodiments of the present disclosure the general-purpose computer should be considered a special-purpose computer. Moreover, when configured according to embodiments of the present disclosure, such a special-purpose computer improves the function of a general-purpose computer because, absent the present disclosure, the general-purpose computer would not be able to carry out the processes of the present disclosure. The processes of the present disclosure, when carried out by the special-purpose computer, are processes that a human would not be able to perform in a reasonable amount of time due to the complexities of the data processing, decision making, communication, interactive nature, or combinations thereof for the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides meaningful limitations in one or more particular technical environments that go beyond an abstract idea. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improvements in the technical field related to the present disclosure.

The memory 646 may be used to hold computing instructions, data, and other information for performing a wide variety of tasks including administering wagering games of the present disclosure. By way of example, and not limitation, the memory 646 may include Synchronous Random Access Memory (SRAM), (DRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Flash memory, and the like.

The display 658 may be any of a wide variety of displays, such as light-emitting diode displays, liquid crystal displays, cathode ray tubes, and the like. In addition, the display 658 may be configured with a touch-screen feature for accepting user input as a user interface element 644.

As non-limiting examples, the user interface elements 644 may include elements such as displays, keyboards, push-buttons, mice, joysticks, haptic devices, microphones, speakers, cameras, and touchscreens.

As non-limiting examples, the communication elements 656 may be configured for communicating with other devices or communication networks. As non-limiting examples, the communication elements 656 may include elements for communicating on wired and wireless communication media, such as for example, serial ports, parallel ports, Ethernet connections, universal serial bus (USB) connections, IEEE 1394 (“firewire”) connections, THUNDERBOLT™ connections, BLUETOOTH® wireless networks, ZigBee wireless networks, 802.11-type wireless networks, cellular telephone/data networks, and other suitable communication interfaces and protocols.

The storage 648 may be used for storing relatively large amounts of nonvolatile information for use in the computing system 640 and may be configured as one or more storage devices. By way of example and not limitation, these storage devices may include computer-readable media (CRM). This CRM may include, but is not limited to, magnetic and optical storage devices such as disk drives, magnetic tape, CDs (compact discs), DVDs (digital versatile discs or digital video discs), and semiconductor devices such as RAM, DRAM, ROM, EPROM, Flash memory, and other storage devices.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the computing system 640 may be configured in many different ways with different types of interconnecting buses between the various elements. Moreover, the various elements may be subdivided physically, functionally, or a combination thereof. As one non-limiting example, the memory 646 may be divided into cache memory, graphics memory, and main memory. Each of these memories may communicate directly or indirectly with the one or more processors 642 on separate buses, partially combined buses, or a common bus.

As a specific, non-limiting example, various methods and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in a mobile, remote, or mobile and remote environment over one or more of Internet, cellular communication (e.g., Broadband), near field communication networks and other communication networks referred to collectively herein as an iGaming environment. The iGaming environment may be accessed through social media environments such as FACEBOOK® and the like. DragonPlay Ltd, acquired by Bally Technologies Inc., provides an example of a platform to provide games to user devices, such as cellular telephones and other devices utilizing ANDROID®, iPHONE® and FACEBOOK® platforms. Where permitted by jurisdiction, the iGaming environment can include pay-to-play (P2P) gaming where a player, from their device, can make value-based wagers and receive value-based awards. Where P2P is not permitted, the features can be expressed as entertainment only gaming where players wager virtual credits having no value or risk no wager whatsoever, such as playing a promotion game or feature.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of information flows in an iGaming environment. At a player level, the player or user accesses a site hosting the activity such as a website 700. The website 700 may functionally provide a web game client 702. The web game client 702 may be, for example, represented by a game client 708 downloadable at information flow 710, which may process applets transmitted from a gaming server 714 at information flow 711 for rendering and processing game play at a player's remote device. Where the game is a P2P game, the gaming server 714 may process value-based wagers (e.g., money wagers) and randomly generate an outcome for rendition at the player's device. In some embodiments, the web game client 702 may access a local memory store to drive the graphic display at the player's device. In other embodiments, all or a portion of the game graphics may be streamed to the player's device with the web game client 702 enabling player interaction and display of game features and outcomes at the player's device.

The website 700 may access a player-centric, iGaming-platform-level account module 704 at information flow 706 for the player to establish and confirm credentials for play and, where permitted, access an account (e.g., an eWallet) for wagering. The account module 704 may include or access data related to the player's profile (e.g., player-centric information desired to be retained and tracked by the host), the player's electronic account, deposit, and withdrawal records, registration and authentication information, such as username and password, name and address information, date of birth, a copy of a government issued identification document, such as a driver's license or passport, and biometric identification criteria, such as fingerprint or facial recognition data, and a responsible gaming module containing information, such as self-imposed or jurisdictionally imposed gaming restraints, such as loss limits, daily limits and duration limits. The account module 704 may also contain and enforce geo-location limits, such as geographic areas where the player may play P2P games, user device IP address confirmation, and the like.

The account module 704 communicates at information flow 705 with a game module 716 to complete log-ins, registrations, and other activities. The game module 716 may also store or access a player's gaming history, such as player tracking and loyalty club account information. The game module 716 may provide static web pages to the player's device from the game module 716 through information flow 718, whereas, as stated above, the live game content may be provided from the gaming server 714 to the web game client through information flow 711.

The gaming server 714 may be configured to provide interaction between the game and the player, such as receiving wager information, game selection, inter-game player selections or choices to play a game to its conclusion, and the random selection of game outcomes and graphics packages, which, alone or in conjunction with the downloadable game client 708, web game client 702 and game module 716, provide for the display of game graphics and player interactive interfaces. At information flow 718, player account and log-in information may be provided to the gaming server 714 from the account module 704 to enable gaming. Information flow 720 provides wager/credit information between the account module 704 and gaming server 714 for the play of the game and may display credits and eWallet availability. Information flow 722 may provide player tracking information for the gaming server 714 for tracking the player's play. The tracking of play may be used for purposes of providing loyalty rewards to a player, determining preferences, and the like.

All or portions of the features of FIG. 16 may be supported by servers and databases located remotely from a player's mobile device and may be hosted or sponsored by regulated gaming entity for P2P gaming or, where P2P is not permitted, for entertainment only play.

In some embodiments, wagering games may be administered without players risking money in connection with the wagers (i e “play-for-fun” games). Access to play-for-fun wagering games may be granted on a time period basis in some embodiments. For example, upon initially joining the wagering game, each player may automatically be given nonmonetary wagering elements, such as, for example, chips, points, or simulated currency, that are of no redeemable value. After joining, the player may be permitted to place bets using the wagering elements and a timer may track how long the player has been participating in the wagering game. If the player exhausts his or her supply of the wagering elements before a predetermined period of time has expired, the player may be permitted to simply wait until the period of time passes to rejoin the game, at which time access to another quantity of the wagering elements may be granted to the player to permit the player to resume participation in the wagering game.

In some embodiments, a hierarchy of players may determine the quantity of wagering elements given to a player for each predetermined period of time. For example, players who have been participating in the wagering game for a longer time, who have played closest to optimal strategy for the game, who have won the largest percentage of wagers, who have wagered the most in a play-for-pay environment, or who have won the largest quantities of wagering elements from their wagers may be given more wagering elements for each allotment of time than players who have newly joined, who have played according to poor strategy, who have lost more frequently, or who have lost larger quantities of wagering elements. In some embodiments, the hierarchy of players may determine the duration of each allotment of time. For example, players who have been participating in the wagering game for a longer time, who have played closest to optimal strategy for the game, who have won the largest percentage of wagers, or who have won the largest quantities of wagering elements from their wagers may be given shorter allotments of times to wait for an award of more wagering elements than players who have newly joined, who have played according to poor strategy, who have lost more frequently, or who have lost larger quantities of wagering elements. In some embodiments, players who have not run out of wagering elements after the period of time has expired may have the balance of their wagering elements reset for a subsequent allotment of time. In other embodiments, players who have not run out of wagering elements may be allowed to retain their remaining wagering elements for subsequent allotments of time, and may be given additional wagering elements corresponding to the new allotment of time to further increase the balance of wagering elements at their disposal. Players may be assigned to different categories of players, which determine the number of wagering elements awarded. In a given period of time, higher level players, or players who have invested more time playing the game may be allotted more wagering elements per unit of time than a player assigned to a lower level group.

Therefore, in some embodiments, the wagering game may be administered by receiving wagers (e.g., ante, Faces, play, and Picture Perfect wagers) of no real-world monetary value, and payouts may be paid without transferring real-world monetary value to the players. Such embodiments, referred to herein as “free play-for-fun” embodiments are nonetheless contemplated as modes of carrying out the methods described herein.

In some embodiments, referred to herein as “social play-for-fun” embodiments, a player may be permitted to redeem an access token of no redeemable face value, such as, for example, points associated with a player account (e.g., social media account credits, online points associated with a transacting account, etc.), to compress the period of time and receive more wagering elements. The access tokens may be sold or may be given without directly exchanging money for the access tokens. For example, access tokens may be allocated to players who participate in member events (e.g., complete surveys, receive training on how to play the wagering game, share information about the wagering game with others), spend time participating in the wagering game or in a player account forum (e.g., logged in to a social media account), or view advertising. Thus, an entity administering social play-for-fun wagering games may not receive money from losing player wagers or may not take a rake on wagers, but may receive compensation through advertising revenue or through the purchase of access tokens redeemable for time compressions to continue play of the wagering game or simply to increase the quantity of wagering elements available to a player.

After receipt of an indication that a player has stopped participating in a play-for-fun wagering game (e.g., a free play-for-fun embodiment, a social play-for-fun embodiment), any remaining quantities of the wagering elements may be relinquished by the player and retained by the administrator, in some embodiments. For example, receipt of an indication that the player has logged out of a play-for-fun wagering game administered over the Internet may cause any remaining wagering elements associated with a respective player to be lost. Thus, when the player rejoins the play-for-fun wagering game, the quantity of wagering elements given to the player for an allotment of time may not bear any relationship to the quantity of wagering elements held by the player when he or she quit playing a previous session of the wagering game. In other embodiments, upon receipt of an indication that a player has stopped playing, the quantity of wagering elements held by the player at that time may be retained and made available to the player, along with any additional quantities of wagering elements granted for new allotments of time, upon receipt of an indication that the player has rejoined the wagering game.

FIG. 17 is a schematic of a wagering game implemented as a scratch card 800. The game may have some of the same rules as the game implemented in other formats (e.g., live table game, Internet game, etc.), but some rules may be modified. For example, the scratch card may have a fixed price, such that the player may not have the option to fold after seeing his or her own hand.

The scratch card 800 may include a dealer hand 802 and a player hand 804, each covered by an opaque removable material 805 (e.g., a waxy metallic film that may be removed by scraping, as with a fingernail or an edge of a coin). The dealer hand 802 and the player hand 804 may each include a selected number of images representing playing cards (e.g., six cards). For example, the images in the dealer hand 802 and the player hand 804 may represent any cards of ranks from 4 through K. After purchasing the scratch card 800, a player may remove the material 805 to reveal the dealer hand 802 and the player hand 804. The rules of the scratch card 800 may determine whether the player has won, and if so, how much.

For example, the rules described above may apply, with minor adjustments, to an ante wager 806, a Faces wager 808, a play wager 810, and a Picture Perfect wager 812. For the purposes of the scratch card 800, the rules may not provide the player an option to fold, and thus by purchasing the scratch card 800, the player may make all the “wagers” shown on the scratch card 800. For example, if the scratch card 800 costs $5, $1 may be allocated to each of the ante wager 806, the Faces wager 808, the play wager 810, and the Picture Perfect wager 812.

Each of the wagers may pay if the winning conditions are met. In particular, the ante wager 806 and the play wager 810 may each pay a fixed amount if the player hand 804 beats the dealer hand 802. For example, if the scratch card 800 costs $4, each of the ante wager 806 and the play wager 810 may pay $2 for a player hand 804 beating the dealer hand 802. In some embodiments, the fixed amount may be indicated on the face of the scratch card 800 in information area 818. In some embodiments, the winnings may be adjusted based on whether the dealer hand 862 has a qualifying holding, as discussed above with respect to stage 64 in FIG. 6. For example, if the dealer hand 802 does not qualify, the ante wager 806 may win $1, corresponding to the result of a push of $1 allocated to the ante wager 806. Such a rule may be provided to the player in the information area 818.

The Faces wager 808 may pay an amount based at least in part on the number of face cards in the player hand 804. In some embodiments, the Faces wager 808 may be paid only if the player hand 804 beats the dealer hand 802. The Faces wager 808 may be paid when the player hand 804 beats the dealer hand 802 according to a paytable 814, such as shown in Table VII.

TABLE VII Number of Face Cards in Player Hand Faces Wager Payout 6 $26 5 $4 4 $2 3 or less $1

If the dealer hand 802 beats the player hand 804, the Faces wager 808 may pay nothing. The values of the paytable 814 may be different from or the same as fixed-odds paytables that may be used for the game in other formats. In particular, because of the difficulty in pushing a wager (i.e., a portion of the purchase prices of the scratch card 800) back to the player, conditions which might otherwise push may be assigned a payout (e.g., a payout of $1).

The Picture Perfect wager 812 may be paid based on the player hand 804 even if the player hand 804 loses to the dealer hand 802. In some embodiments, the Picture Perfect wager 812 is paid based on a paytable 816. For example, the Picture Perfect wager 812 may be paid as shown in Table VIII.

TABLE VIII Face Cards in Player Hand Picture Perfect Wager Payout 6 Same Rank Pictures $1,001 5 Same Rank Pictures $201 4 Same Rank Pictures $21 3 Same Rank Pictures $4 2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures $3

In some embodiments, the paytables 814 and 816 may be selected based on a desired house advantage, marketing reasons, or other concerns.

In some embodiments, the ante wager 806, the Faces wager 808, the play wager 810, and the Picture Perfect wager 812 may be covered with the waxy metallic opaque removable material 805, and removal of the material 805 from these wager areas may reveal the amount that each wager wins. Thus, the player and the redemption authority from which the player receives any winnings need not compare the dealer hand 802 with the player hand 804 to calculate the payout amounts.

For example, if the scratch card 800 has a dealer hand 802 of K, Q, J, 7, 5, 4 and a player hand 804 of K, Q, Q, Q, 7, 5, removal of the material 805 over each of the ante wager 806 and the play wager 810 may reveal a payoff of $2 each. Removal of the material 805 over the Faces wager 808 may reveal a payoff of $2 (corresponding to a payoff as shown in the paytable 814 for four face cards). Removal of the material 805 over the Picture Perfect wager 812 may reveal a payoff of $8 (corresponding to a payoff as shown in paytable 816 for three cards of the same rank). Thus, this scratch card 800 could be redeemed for $14 ($2 for the ante wager 806, $2 for the Faces wager 808, $2 for the play wager 810, and $8 for the Picture Perfect wager 812. The player may redeem the scratch card 800 for the payoff amount from an authorized dealer (e.g., a convenience store, a sponsoring organization such as a state or local government, the manufacturer's agent, etc.)

In some embodiments, the rules of the scratch card 800 may provide the option to return the scratch card 800 for a partial refund after the player hand 804 is revealed, but before the dealer hand 802 is revealed. This option may be comparable to the “fold” option of a live or computer-based game.

For example, if the scratch card 800 costs $5, $1 is allocated to each of the ante wager 806, the Faces wager 808, and the play wager 810, and $2 is allocated to the Picture Perfect wager 812, a player may remove the opaque material 805 from the player hand 804 without disturbing the opaque material 805 covering the dealer hand 802. The player may then choose to redeem the scratch card 800 for the settlement value of the Picture Perfect wager 812 (i.e., the winnings based on the number of face cards of the same rank and/or suit in the player hand 804) plus the $1 allocated to the play wager 810. Alternatively, the player may choose to remove a portion of the opaque material 805 covering the dealer hand 802. By revealing any portion of the dealer hand 802, the player may lose the option to “fold” or redeem the scratch card 800 for a refund of the amount of the play wager 810.

While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connection with the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described herein. Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodiments described herein may result in embodiments within the scope of this disclosure, such as those specifically claimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from one disclosed embodiment may be combined with features of another disclosed embodiment while still being within the scope of this disclosure, as contemplated by the inventors.

Any description of a component or embodiment herein also includes hardware, software, and configurations that may already exist in the prior art and may be necessary to or enhance the operation of such component(s) or embodiment(s). However, custom hardware, software and configurations may be developed as necessary to further enhance such operations. In addition, “bet” and “wager” are used synonymously herein.

Further, the operations described herein can be performed in any sensible order, so as to not compromise integrity of play of embodiments of the game. Any operations not required for proper operation can be optional. Further, all methods described herein can also be programmed and stored on a computer-readable storage to control a computer. All variations and features described herein can be combined with any other features described herein without limitation. The many features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification. Thus the appended claims, and legal equivalents, encompass all embodiments of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit implementation of embodiments of the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for administering a card game, the method comprising: providing a modified deck of fifty-two (52) playing cards having fewer non-face cards and more face cards as compared to a standard deck; receiving from a player an ante wager and a Faces wager; dealing a plurality of cards each to a dealer hand and a player hand; receiving from the player an option to fold or to play, wherein upon election of the fold option, the ante and Faces wagers are retained, and wherein upon election of the play option, a play wager is received from the player; revealing and determining whether the dealer hand has a qualifying holding; resolving the ante and play wagers on the basis of whether the player hand or the dealer hand holds more face cards; and resolving the Faces wager by awarding a payout when the player hand beats the dealer hand and the player hand holds at least a predetermined number of face cards.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount of the Faces wager is equal to an amount of the ante wager, and wherein an amount of the play wager is equal to the amount of the ante wager.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein resolving the Faces wager comprises paying a payout on the Faces wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: Number of Face Cards in Player Hand Faces Wager Payout 6 25 to 1  5 3 to 1 4 1 to 1


4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting a Picture Perfect wager before dealing cards to the player hand, and issuing an award to the player based upon the Picture Perfect wager.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein issuing an award to the player based upon the Picture Perfect wager comprises paying a payout to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: Face Cards in Player Hand Picture Perfect Wager Payout 6 Same Rank Pictures 1,000 to 1    5 Same Rank Pictures 200 to 1  4 Same Rank Pictures 20 to 1  3 Same Rank Pictures 3 to 1 2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures 2 to 1


6. A method of administering a wagering game, comprising: accepting an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a side wager from a player; dealing randomized physical cards to a player hand associated with the player and to a dealer hand from a single deck of fifty-two (52) physical playing cards, wherein the deck comprises twenty-four (24) face cards and twenty-eight (28) non-face cards, wherein the face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K; administering a game play election event comprising: providing a set of game play election options comprising accepting a play wager; and accepting from the player a game play election comprising accepting the play wager; and resolving all accepted wagers, acceptance of the play wager being a prerequisite for paying a payout on the ante wager and the Faces wager.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises comparing a total number of face cards in the player hand with a total number of face cards in the dealer hand.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein when the total number of face cards in the player hand equals the total number of face cards in the dealer hand, resolving all accepted wagers comprises comparing a rank of at least one of the face cards in the player hand with a rank of at least one of the face cards in the dealer hand.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises returning the ante wager to the player when a total number of face cards in the dealer hand is below a preselected value.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises returning the ante wager to the player when a highest-ranking face card in the dealer hand is below a preselected rank.
 11. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises disregarding any ranks of non-face cards in the dealer hand and the player hand.
 12. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the optional side wager defined by a paytable and based at least in part on the total number of face cards of the same rank in the player hand.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein paying a payout on the optional side wager defined by a paytable and based at least in part on the total number of face cards of the same rank in the player hand comprises paying a payout on the side wager when two of the face cards in the player hand have the same rank and suit.
 14. The method of claim 6, wherein dealing randomized physical cards to a player hand associated with the player and to a dealer hand comprises dealing six (6) cards each to the player hand and the dealer hand.
 15. The method of claim 6, wherein the deck of fifty-two physical playing cards comprises eight cards having a rank of K, eight cards having a rank of Q, and eight cards having a rank of J.
 16. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the Faces wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: Number of Face Cards in Player Hand Faces Wager Payout 6 25 to 1  5 3 to 1 4 1 to 1


17. The method of claim 6, wherein resolving all accepted wagers comprises paying a payout on the side wager to the player based on the following fixed-odds paytable: Face Cards in Player Hand Side Wager Payout 6 Same Rank Pictures 1,000 to 1    5 Same Rank Pictures 200 to 1  4 Same Rank Pictures 20 to 1  3 Same Rank Pictures 3 to 1 2 Same Rank and Suit Pictures 2 to 1


18. The method of claim 6, wherein accepting an ante wager, a Faces wager, and, optionally, a side wager from a player comprises accepting the Faces wager equal in value to the ante wager.
 19. A deck of fifty-two (52) physical playing cards, comprising: twenty-four (24) face cards, wherein the face cards each have a rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K; and twenty-eight (28) non-face cards.
 20. The deck of claim 19, wherein the face cards consist of eight (8) cards of each rank selected from the group consisting of J, Q, and K. 